PORTLAND – Julius “Bud” Blake, the creator of the award-winning comic strip “Tiger” that appeared in hundreds of papers worldwide, died Dec. 26 at Maine Medical Center. He was 87.

Blake created the strip “Tiger” in 1965 after quitting his job at a New York advertising agency nine years earlier to pursue his love of drawing.

The strip, with its cast of Tiger and his boyhood pals, was named as the year’s best humor strip in 1970, 1978 and 2000 by the National Cartoonists Society. It still appears in more than 100 newspapers in 11 countries, according to King Features Syndicate, which distributes the comic.

Blake, who had spent many summers in Maine, moved permanently to his home and studio in Bremen after the death of his wife in 1988. He continued drawing “Tiger” until he was 85, according to an obituary submitted by Strong Funeral home in Damariscotta.

Blake said the characters in “Tiger” were composites of youngsters from his childhood.

The strip’s characters included Tiger, his little brother Punkinhead, his best friend, Hugo, and his dog Stripe. Other characters included Bonnie, Suzy and Julian.

Blake once said the character Hugo was based on a boy who used to beat him up as a youngster growing up in New Jersey. Stripe was based on Blake’s boyhood dog, Jenny.

Throughout his career, Blake maintained a reputation as one of the country’s most talented cartoonists, said Jay Kennedy, editor in chief at King Features Syndicate.

“He was highly respected by his peers for the quality and charm of his artwork and his inspiring view of a child’s world,” Kennedy said in a statement.

Before becoming a cartoonist, Blake was executive art director for an ad agency whose corporate clients included General Motors and Goodyear.

But he tired of commuting to the city, administrative details and business travel, and he quit in 1956 to create a cartoon panel, “Ever Happen To You?”

He is survived by a son, Julian Blake of Gloucester, Mass., and a daughter, Mariana Heath of Portland, Ore.

A memorial service was held Thursday in Damariscotta.